If you recreate on trails and roads in the Murphy Dome area, a proposed wind farm project will be of interest to you.
The Shovel Creek Wind LLC has applied for a lease from the state to install wind turbines and other facilities along ridges in the Murphy Dome area. A public comment period is open until 5 p.m., Monday, January 29.
While this project will have positive impacts, such as projected lower community power costs and a reduction of fossil fuel emissions by the Golden Valley Electric Association, it will also have negative impacts, such as changing the viewshed and developing currently raw land. The project has caused a lot of heated discussion in Fairbanks.
Whether you support it, oppose it, or support it with caveats, you should comment. Find out how here: http://notice.alaska.gov/213611
Project Impact on Area
According to “Attachment A – Development Plan (11-13-2023).pdf,” found at the above “notice” link, the project will use a considerable amount of land in that area. How much would depend on the amount of energy GVEA would agree to purchase from Shovel Creek Wind. GVEA’s Request for Proposals targeted renewable energy projects between 40-150MW. Shovel Creek has sized its development plan to allow for a larger project or future expansion up to 264 MW. That larger plan would include up to 63 wind turbines. Each turbine would require a pad of 3.5 to 5 acres. The plan would also require:
- A substation (up to 3 acres)
- A laydown yard (about 25 acres)
- An area for a maintenance building (up to 5 acres)
- Up to five permanent meteorological towers (1-4 acres each)
- A battery storage system (up to 20 acres)
- Electrical cabling to connect the system (most underground but some above ground)
- Improvement of Murphy Dome Extension Road up to milepost 8
- Access roads up to 52 feet wide to and between project facilities
- High voltage transmission towers and lines connecting to the existing GVEA electrical grid
Also, under “Special Site Considerations” (page 8-9 of the development plan) there is a section that discusses “General recreation and tourism uses are common in the area.” At the end of the plan are maps of the planned development.
Project Impact on Trails and Roads
According to A.J. Wait of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, the project should not permanently restrict any access to roads or trails.
“There is a network of trails in the area,” Wait wrote in an email. “Shovel Creek Wind has indicated they do not intend to prevent access to and through the area. If there are specific trails you believe should be protected in their existing alignment or location where a trail vs a gravel road is preferable for travel through to maintain the character of existing access, please let us know. There may be temporary restrictions of access along the ridgetops during periods of construction.”
Also, according to Wait: “DOT manages Murphy Dome Road and Murphy Dome Road Extension: while the project would not restrict long term access along these roads, DOT does sometimes authorize restrictions such as the use of flaggers. Please contact DOT for additional information on these types of activities if you would like more information. I strongly suspect no applications have been submitted to DOT at this point for any activities within the road.”
A company website about the project is HERE.
Photos for Illustration
Three photos below help illustrate aspects of the project.
The first photo is from a Goldstream Community Facebook Page commenter, Oralee Nudson. She opposes the project but has also seemed reliable with her presentation of the facts.
According to Nudson: “The middle round peak in this photo is Luck Dome, a proposed location of the BESS facility. There would be turbines the entire distance from Luck Dome to the photographer’s position and beyond. Each turbine pad would be a cleared and graveled area of 3.5 to 5 acres on the currently most accessible and scenic ridge lines near Fairbanks.”
The next photo is from the Shovel Creek Wind development plan. It presents a “visualization” of the project with the turbines far off in the distance. They are barely noticeable. While this will be the case from some points in the Murphy Dome area, the turbines and facilities will be much more noticeable up close.
Finally, here is a photo of a biker under one of the turbines at GVEA’s Eva Creek wind farm near Healy.
Hi Eric- Thanks for posting your comments here. Fair and clearly stated.
I’ve thought a bit about the wind farm viewshed impacts. My partner and I moved out Murphy Dome way for better access to trails and less densely developed country so I do respect a nice horizon and skyline.
However, in my opinion the greatest visual blight in the interior is the terrible night sky glow from Fairbanks urban/suburban lighting. 50 miles out from Fairbanks (Whites, upper Chena River, far Steese Hwy) the great gauzy blue white Fairbanks blob looms in the sky all winter long.
A mile away and I can eclipse a wind mill with my thumb. The blob covers a much bigger patch of sky,
Why do we put up with it? Because there is a shared benefit. I like to find my car in the Fred Meyer parking lot or the airport. Ski trails, hockey rinks, dog parks are more enjoyable. Safety, or perceived safety, is often improved.
Fairbanks light pollution impact is a greater negative aesthetic impact than a string of wind towers. Ironically wind power will make it cheaper to illuminate Fred Meyer’s. Civilization is a collaborative compromise.
But it isn’t a zero sum game. For other ideas how to reduce light pollution: https://darksky.org
Thanks for your thoughts. I was just in the Whites this past weekend and noticed the glow of Fairbanks. I too like the conveniences that public lighting bring despite its downsides. (Though, thanks for the darksky link, since we can reduce the impact of night lights while still reaping most of the benefits.) And I really like your comment: “Civilization is a collaborative compromise.” I am firmly of the belief that we can collaborate better if we stop yelling at each other. Seems hard for many to do, especially on social media.
I think we do not need wind generators they kill lots of birds. And never really make a profit just and are ugly.
This certainly isn’t a slam dunk decision. There are quite a few reasons on either side of the debate. I don’t know about the profit-making aspect, but bird deaths shouldn’t be a serious factor, unless there is something in particular about this project that makes it more lethal to birds that other wind projects. While it is true that wind turbines kill birds, there are far more serious human-caused threats. Far bigger threats are cats, buildings, and vehicles. Sibley Guides has a good graphic based on data from the US Fish and Wildlife Service: https://www.sibleyguides.com/conservation/causes-of-bird-mortality/
I agree with many of the comments above. I, too, love the views on Murphy Dome and the feeling of being far away from the city. As others have pointed out, however, Fairnbanks needs to find ways to produce clean energy. We simply cannot say no to every change/development while expecting other communities to tolerate that impact on their environment. As development goes, this is fairly minor – with a direct positive impact on Fairbanks and the surrounding areas. All things considered, I would support this project.
Thanks for your comments, Cecile. I feel the same way. Allowing the wind farm in the Murphy Dome area would be a sacrifice, but the only way we are going to make positive progress regarding climate change is with sacrifice. That said, the project needs to be properly vetted. I would really hate for the project to go through and then fail to make any substantive change. I will be watching this issue carefully.
It is not just a view for my family. It is our home. I am a full time resident on the Chatanika river, I access my home by snowmachine or boat. The closest tower to the river will be 1.5 miles directly in front of my home . There are many recreational cabins on the river, there are also 6 people that there only home is on the river. Although we are not a large community this will change our community forever.
Thanks for your input, Aaron. That is an excellent point. This is often a challenge of big projects in rural areas.
Hi Eric
Thanks for all your work on trails.
Is the Murphy Dome extension road the same as the road that goes to Minto Flats? I always called this the Bennett Road because apparently Don Bennett an early legislator got funding for this road.
My friends and I hike this road annually to a Lookout point where all of Minto Flats is seen. The view is awesome. We love this hike.
Yes, I believe it’s the same road. I’ve heard it called the Bennett Road and the 15-Mile Trail.